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MacBook Pro 2018 Thermal Throttling or Major Overheating Issue

Hello everyone!


My laptop is only about a year old; I have a MacBook Pro late 2018 with the following specs:


  • 13-inch
  • 4 Thunderbolt three ports
  • 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
  • 8GB of memory 2133 MHz LPDDR3
  • Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 1536MB
  • Currently updated to macOS Catalina Version 10.15.6


Now with all of the fun stuff out of the way, here is my situation. I had brought my MacBook into Apple about 3-4 times before COVID started for the past year that I've owned it for a thermal throttling and overheating problem. I'm aware that MacBooks aren't the best at regulating airflow, but there were moments where my laptop would be so warm I couldn't type on it, and I could cook an egg on my laptop keyboard. I always use it on a hard, steady surface such as a desk or table, and it continuously did this. When I brought it the first time, they replaced the fans and redid the circuits that hold the Touch Bar in place. They also put in a new motherboard thinking that could have been most of the issue along with the fans. So they did a lot of work. The second time around, it came back, and they said it was okay but changed the fans again. After the second time, things seemed better for about two months.


It is important to note that I don't use my MacBook for anything too intense. I know that MacBooks aren't for gaming, so I use mine mainly to do things inside Safari. I'm a teacher, so I put together documents and do everything I need to do through Microsoft programs, Google Drive, and websites. But even with just one or two tabs open, it continuously heats up now. Once a month, I wipe out my MacBook and erase everything and do a factory reset, so malware doesn't pile up and become even more sluggish. I have tried everything! My MacBook continues to overheat or have thermal throttling issues every time I've sent it in. They continuously put that white glue to make temperature regulate easier throughout the laptop. My friend, who has a MacBook Air, hasn't experienced any overheating or throttling issues, and it's a 2018-2019. This doesn't seem normal to me. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? I seriously don't know what else to do; please give me some suggestions. If not, suggestions should I again send my laptop back in? I didn't want to do this again because I use it every day, but I will if needed.


Anything on this issue would be appreciated.


I appreciate any help you can provide.

MacBook Pro 13”, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 29, 2020 3:37 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 29, 2020 8:04 PM

Web browsing can cause computers to become hot as web pages contain a lot of JavaScript code which runs to display the page, the ads, etc. Plus the Retina laptops will run hotter than most other traditional PCs and even older Mac laptops since the Retina laptops are very thin and hard to cool those high end CPUs which emit a lot of heat.


If you run the Apple Diagnostics and no errors are reported, then the laptop's cooling system is most likely running properly. That means you then have either a software issue causing the laptop to work harder than it needs to or you are not used to how much warmer/hotter these newer Macs can run. To look for software issues run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.


From your description it sounds like most of the major components have already been replaced (Logic Board/Memory/SSD, Top Case/Keyboard/Trackpad/Battery/Touchbar Assembly). You probably do not have a hardware issue.

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6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 29, 2020 8:04 PM in response to EllieAvora

Web browsing can cause computers to become hot as web pages contain a lot of JavaScript code which runs to display the page, the ads, etc. Plus the Retina laptops will run hotter than most other traditional PCs and even older Mac laptops since the Retina laptops are very thin and hard to cool those high end CPUs which emit a lot of heat.


If you run the Apple Diagnostics and no errors are reported, then the laptop's cooling system is most likely running properly. That means you then have either a software issue causing the laptop to work harder than it needs to or you are not used to how much warmer/hotter these newer Macs can run. To look for software issues run EtreCheck and post the report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.


From your description it sounds like most of the major components have already been replaced (Logic Board/Memory/SSD, Top Case/Keyboard/Trackpad/Battery/Touchbar Assembly). You probably do not have a hardware issue.

Sep 1, 2020 6:52 PM in response to EllieAvora

Uninstall CleanMyMac by following the developer's instructions. Anti-virus and cleaning apps are not needed on a Mac. These types of apps usually cause more problems than they solve plus they impact system performance.


Also reboot your laptop. macOS needs to be rebooted once in a while to clear out old temp and cache files.

Sep 1, 2020 7:01 PM in response to EllieAvora

You are running fan control software. That is always a Red Flag. If you turn the fans off, the machine will literally melt inside.


Your EtreCheck report is showing 127% CPU usage from some process owned by the root user. The Mac App Store version of EtreCheck can’t directly see those processes. You will have to run Activity Monitor. By default, Activity Monitor won’t show these processes either. You have to go to the View menu and tell Activity Monitor to view “All processes”.

MacBook Pro 2018 Thermal Throttling or Major Overheating Issue

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